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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Diabetes---more than just a silent killer!

There is a growing awareness that diabetes is a ticking time bomb for New Zealand. The figures publicized yesterday that claimed up to 50% of middle age may have Type Two Diabetes, be pre-diabetic or don’t even know they have the disease is extremely worrying. For the latter it is particularly disturbing that they have not accessed heath support in order to manage this insidious disease.

That the Government has cut some preventative programmes is also a huge concern and one that is extremely short sighted. How can they justify cutting now and then causing future governments to be lumbered with the skyrocketing cost of managing those who have gone on to develop the disease? The desire to balance budgets now seems to be the driving force behind this shallow policy. Can they not see that spending now on preventing the disease and managing those better how have it, is far more cost effective than waiting for the massive ramifications for our nation’s health costs in the very near future?

Can they not see the obvious? Do they not see that their ‘head in the sand’ attitude is going to affect all New Zealanders because the money needed for dialysis and other treatment regimens is going to strip resources from other problem areas of our health system.

It is time to look beyond the three year election cycle and become more responsible Mr Key and your gang of short-sighted minions. Face up to this massive storm on the horizon or go down in history as the Government that missed an opportunity to make a real difference. I doubt that they are going to listen to the clarion calls that will fill the pages of our newspapers and screens of our computers. My voice will be one of many to be ignored by this Government. Come on Labour and other parties. Get yourselves organized and put aside selfish points scoring and deal with the issue at least from an opposition point of view. ‘What are you going to do?!’